Steven Jahr Biography

Steven Jahr is the Administrative Director of the Judicial Council of California, effective Oct 2012.

After engaging in private law practice in southern and northern California, he was appointed to the bench in 1986 and served as a judge for 22 years, the final 17 on the Superior Court of Shasta County in Redding.

During his judicial service, among other duties as presiding judge, Judge Jahr developed and oversaw the complete consolidation of the superior and municipal courts in his county, which included the reconfiguration of all criminal case processing in the court with the adoption of a direct calendar system. He also developed the civil delay reduction calendars for his court and reformed civil law and motion calendar procedures.

Following service on the superior court’s civil calendars, he was assigned to operate a felony direct calendar for several years, which included sole responsibility for the drug court in the county. He also initiated the Prop. 36 (Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act) court calendar and successfully operated it for its first four years of existence. During his tenure, Judge Jahr also administered the family law calendar for a total of three years.

On a statewide level, in the mid-1990’s during the period of transition from county to state trial court operations funding, Judge Jahr chaired the Task Force on Trial Court Funding and the Trial Court Budget Commission, by appointment of former Chief Justices Lucas and George, respectively. He also served for many years as faculty for the state’s judicial education programs.

Judge Jahr was named Jurist of the Year by the Judicial Council of California for 1997.

In 1998, he was appointed as a member of the Judicial Council where, during his term, he served as Chair of the Rules and Projects Committee.

He also served as a board member and Vice President of the California Judges Association.

Following his retirement from the bench in 2009, Judge Jahr continued to serve as a volunteer to his former court concerning its courthouse construction project and on working groups overseen by the Judicial Council, including the Emergency Response and Security Task Force.